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“Engaged? Not married?” I ask a little too eagerly, remembering the way the asshole called her his wife, and she didn’t correct.
“No, she never married him, which was also odd. But I got the impression she had some reservations. We never met the guy.”
Hal clears his throat, indicating he’s picked up on this, too.
“Harley, be a dear hostess and send another round of those ladies’ night special martinis,” Amanda shouts from her table.
“Mom, I’m a bartender, not a hostess,” she hollers back.
“Make it sex,” Amanda replies, and the table howls.
“Please, God, tell me she meant make it six.” Horror fills Harley’s expression.
“I’m hoping she meant sex,” Rich delivers with a straight face.
She drops her head and bangs it against the bar.
“Mix ‘em up, baby, and we’ll deliver them.” I lift her chin and shoot her an encouraging smile.
“Next time, remind me not to tell her about ladies’ night.”
She rolls her shoulders and pulls out six martini glasses.
“While you do that, did your mom tell you about the dinner this weekend?” Rich asks.
Harley preps the drinks and nods. “Grandma’s seventy-fifth at Giovanni’s, right?”
“That was the plan until she found out about your new beau.”
Harley’s head snaps, her hand losing grip, and the bottle almost crashing before she saves at the last minute. “You promised to let me tell her myself! She adores Achilles and was heartbroken when he left me. I needed to ease her into us.”
“Things change.”
“Dad!”
“I called her.” Her eyes fling to mine, squinting in irritation.
“You,” she points, “are in trouble! She’ll eat you alive!”
“I’m good, especially since we moved the party to the house.”
She pales, looking away and finishing the drinks, adding the orange garnish and placing them on the bar. “Deliver these.”
Rich, Dad, and Hal take the drinks. Talon, Major, and Ford settle into the bar stools. She eyes Ford first.
“You approved this?”
“My parents are driving in from Chicago for the occasion, with my sisters.”
“They don’t know my grandma!”
“My parents are coming from Louisiana,” Talon goes on.
Her gaze moves between us, and she straightens, realization taking over. She takes a second, but she breathes deep, knowing everyone is coming for the same reason. “Grandma will love it.”
“My parents are heading in, too. My jackass brothers are most likely crashing,” Major informs with a frown.
“Everyone will be together.” There’s a sense of melancholy to her tone.
“Jay…” Ford drifts off, not sure how to finish.
The sadness disappears. She delivers a cunning smile to Major. “Drake and Jewls seemed to hit it off.”
Major slams his beer down, but she’s already floating off with a wave of a hand.
I watch her ass, slugging my beer.
“We didn’t even get a fresh round,” Talon whistles out, and Tom swings his head our way.
“Y’all badasses here for the night?”
He knows my answer, but the other guys tip their beer in confirmation. Tom fills a bucket of beer, sets it in front of us, and props on the bar. “I know what’s going on. Pray to God your services aren’t needed, but if they are, you have my eternal gratitude for continuing to protect this country. Drinks are on me tonight.” He shoves off and goes back to the service area.
Talon, being Talon, can’t let it go, whistling loud to bring attention his way. “We love you, too, Tommy.”
Tom scowls, shooting him an ‘eat shit’ glare before flicking him off.
“Aww, look at that. He loves us more.”
I glance at my friend shoving bar nuts in his mouth and can’t help the smile on my lips.
Surrounded by friends and family and watching Harley shine under the success of her pet project, I have a new appreciation for my life.
18
Harley
“It’s not too late to go to a restaurant.”
“It is too late, considering the catering staff is almost ready to open the buffet,” Mom replies. “Plus, there’s no way we can move this crowd to a restaurant.”
“The Bar-B-Q Barn can hold all of us.”
“Do you want to tell your grandma she’s getting the Bar-B-Q Barn for her seventy-fifth dinner instead of Italian from the city’s finest restaurant?”
I think about Grandma Lucy’s reaction and the wrath of hell we’ll face. “No,” I mumble, slinking back.
“It’s not that bad.”
“She’s had Achilles in that corner for fifteen minutes and pointed at his face twice. He looks like he’s about to blow.”
“No, he looks like a man who will gladly stand in that corner, taking hell as long as it takes for her to get it out of her system. She loves you like crazy. And to him, you’re his world.” Sandy sighs with unmistakable joy.
“Can’t Uncle Michael or Dad intercept?”
“They know better than to wade in,” Mom advises.
“I think it’s hilarious. Waiting for him to break a sweat,” Jewls chimes in.
“You’re no help.”
“Not when the situation is so entertaining.” She shoves a margarita glass in my hand. “Here, have a slug and lighten up. We all know Ace can’t be scared off.”
